Xenoblade Chronicles: A Rouzing Glaive
by GrandoYevval
Summary: When it came to adventure, this poor half-baked student didn't expect it to come to him, of all people. Then again, maybe he shouldn't have become an intern for a company who weaponized belts and cards. Armed with the Glaive Buckle, Kaito will fight alongside the denizens of the Bionis to save and maybe even re-shape the world!
1. Chapter 1

**Grando: Heyo! I really don't have much to say, so I'll just say the disclaimer and get on with it.**

 **Disclaimer: Xenoblade Chronicles is property of Nintendo and Monolith and Kamen Rider Blade is property of Toei.**

* * *

 **10:38 AM, Wanaka, New Zealand, BOARD New Zealand branch.**

Kaito Yamagishi, the newest intern at BOARD, was unbelievably tired. First, they have him test the new Rider system, Glaive, after they finally rebuilt it, to see if it works. Then they have him fight a bunch of robots to test Glaive's new capabilities, namely the new rouze cards and their combinations, and now? Get the executives coffee from a Starbucks several miles away. While he was wearing a heavy gold-colored raincoat, baggy blue cargo pants, and snow boots. In spring. At least he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, so he wasn't 100% doomed of heatstroke. "I swear, if I didn't need the college credit to study at that blasted American school… So forgetful and incompetent they forget to take back the dang belt…"

In the middle of his rant, Kaito thought he heard a voice. It was that of a woman, though he couldn't quite make out what she was saying. It seemed to echo through his ears through the ever-apparent static that obscured it. There was only a few select words he could even understand, let alone have context on what they meant. "Bionis-...Mechonis-...Zan-za-...Monado!"

A crimson light seemed to radiate from his pocket. He checked to see what it was and saw it was a blank Rouze card. Then the light shone brighter and became a "CROSS" card. He was debating whether or not to ask the higher-ups if this was normal when he heard the BOARD announcer shout out the name of the new card, engulfing him in red. Kaito covered his eyes and suddenly, he was no longer on the face of the Earth.

* * *

 **10:45 AM, Mechon Wreckage site, Bionis' Right calf**

Kaito awoke among a green grassy enclosure. Around him were creatures that seemed familiar yet alien, rabbit-esc creatures with arm-like tails that held twigs like blades. There were also pieces of machinery on the ground, but they were more futuristic than most of the tech he had seen (he technically works for BOARD, after all.) Then, all at once, he was approached by someone he hadn't noticed before. He was wearing practically all read. The only thing that wasn't a metallic shade of red was his shirt and the odd border of his jacket and shorts, as well as a large sword at his back. He spoke with what sounded like a british accent. "Hello there. Do you need help, by any chance?"

"Huh? N-no, thank you. My name is Kaito. You?" The stranger had a look of deep thought for a moment, before smiling and extending his arm.

"I'm Shulk. I'm here to analyze the broken Mechon parts in the area. Care to help?" Kaito adopted a confused face before realizing whatever these "Mechon" were, they were probably the pieces of machinery he saw littered around the enclosure. He nodded and started helping Shulk examine the broken machines. It was relatively uneventful, with Shulk spouting out the names of the individual Mechon Models. That was, until a crab-like creature turned and attempted to attack the blonde when he was touching its shell.

"SHULK!" Kaito turned his head once again, and saw an orange-haired man in some sort of official armor, most likely some town garrison's, protect Shulk from the odd crab. "Be more careful, will you! It's not a Mechon, just a krabble."

"It was using the Mechon as a shell!" Shulk realized as he took his sword into his hands. "Kaito, get to a safe distance! Reyn will topple it while I go in for the kill."

Kaito reluctantly obeyed as he hid behind a tree. As he did that, Reyn and Shulk cornered the krabble and completely destroyed it (in his eyes at least) with just two hits. Reyn then took the chance to scold their now mutual blonde friend, unknowingly letting Kaito hear some intriguing pieces of information as a result. "Shulk, what the heck were you doing, wandering off on their own? Stay where I can keep an eye on you. It's dangerous outside the colony. There are all kinds of monsters."

"Yeah," Shulk muttered, before he turned back to the Mechon shell, "But thanks to you, we got its shell. Everyone in the colony will be happy."

Kaito decided to remind them both of his existence at this moment. "Excuse me, but colony? What colony?"

Reyn seemed almost surprised at his not-exactly-sudden appearance. He just kind of stared incredulously at the New Zealander, before he got another odd look on his face. "And who are you, then? Are you some poor traveller that Shulk dragged to help with his scavenge? And if you are, how do you not know about Colony 9?"

"Colony...9? I'm sorry, I don't follow," Kaito shook his head, trying to make sense of things, "I just woke up a little while ago. That's when Shulk found me. I don't know about any 'Colony 9' or 'Mechon.' If you could please explain, maybe on the way to a place to sit, it'd be rather nice."

"Sure thing, Kaito," Shulk started as he walked north to the exit of the enclosure, "Reyn, we're heading to the Weapons Development Lab. We need to get this Mechon shell into a shield as soon as possible."

"You just want to do more research on the Monado, don't you?" Reyn joked, only to make Kaito unintentionally stiffen. _Monado? It was the last thing that voice said to me before that Rouze card… Wait… Rouze card… The Glaive Buckle!_ Kaito patted himself down at an alarming pace, until he found the belt and the **Change: Kerberos** card, and breathed a breath of relief. "Oy, what's that? Something important?"

Kaito scratched his neck in a nervous manner as he tried his best to explain. "Well, yes and no. I work for a company called BOARD. It makes different weapons, and this is one of them. But the thing is, this isn't anything unique, this is actually the second of its kind; the first one was stolen somewhat,but not really, and later destroyed by another employee named Kazuma Kenzaki, the wielder of the Blay Buckle."

"Blay Buckle? Who had the bright idea of weaponizing _belts?_ " Reyn laughed again as he started to retell the story of the different colonies, as well as the Mechon War. "... Then came the Battle of Sword Valley, where Dunban, Dickson and a friend of theirs named Mumkhar head the united army against the Mechon, and won at the cost of Dunban's arm and Mumkhar's life. Ever since, the people of Colony 9 have been able to live their lives peacefully."

"That kind of reminds me of Kazuma-san's story. You see, he and his comrades-" Kaito started to speak about his senior, until Shulk called out to him and Reyn, signaling they were at Colony 9. Shulk then said his farewells as he went to the Lab. Reyn did as well, saying that if he didn't get back to the training grounds, the Colonel would do… something? Kaito didn't really pay attention. Now he was alone, in the square of an unfamiliar civilization essentially. Kaito sighed mentally as he sat near what he assumed was a shop. _Well, I'm probably going to be here a while._

* * *

 **3:59 PM, Colony 9 Shopping District, Bionis Right Calf**

 _Boredom. People. People who are walking past the painfully out-of-place 18 year old sitting in front of a shop. A shop that sells soldier armour, jackets, pants, boots, slippers, and bikinis of all things. WHAT HAS MY LIFE BECOME?!_ These thoughts ran through Kaito's mind as he waited for someone-no, ANYONE- to actually come by. He'd even be happy if some random shady guy came up to him with a knife and said "Hey there, Shulk sent me to show you around. Now shut your mouth and follow!" to alleviate the boredom. Just when he was about to leave, someone finally approached. She had blonde hair and an attire similar to the other denizens of the colony, as far as Kaito has seen, anyway. At her side were two hunting knives and a bag that had multiple large thermoses in it.

"Hello there. Are you busy? I was going to go bring these cylinders to my friend, Shulk, but someone needs to watch my brother to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or sneak out. Could you do it?" Kaito nodded out of habit. Back home, he was a sucker for people in need, and now is no different, it seemed. "Great! I'm Fiora. Mine and Dunban's house is over at the entrance of Colony 9."

Fiora thanked Kaito before running further into the colony, quickly leaving Kaito's vision amongst all of the people and stands. Kaito stood himself up and walked over to the rather standard looking stone home, since it was a rather short distance from the questionably stocked store he was in front of for the last several hours. He opened the door and glanced at the interior. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't his style either. Then again, he was sure he was stuck in an entirely different world, so he couldn't really complain about the lack of game-consoles. Kaito let out a sigh, before a matured man with black hair and an oddly scarred arm pointed a sword at him. "Who are you? I've never seen you around Colony 9 before."

"I'm Kaito… N-nice t-to m-meet you. If you'd please, put the sword down. Y-your sister asked me to-" Kaito then saw the blade edge from his neck, as he sighed again, this time out of relief.

"Well, if you were asked by Fiora, I suppose you aren't that bad. Though, I do wish that she'd trust me more; I did say I was better. My name is Dunban." The man introduced himself. Now that he wasn't scared for his life, Kaito notice more about Dunban. More specifically, his right arm. It seemed to be limp, and he saw odd scars that covered his entire hand, across his arm, and even up to the shoulder. The odd thing was the scars seemed to be entirely one, like it was all connected. Obviously, Dunban noticed his staring after a bit. "Oh, this? It's a side effect of using too much of the Monado. Don't worry, it doesn't hurt unless I over exert it."

"Oh… Well that's good, I suppose. So, what is it you do around here? Just sit?" Dunban nodded his head, disappointing Kaito a bit. "Okay, how about I make something. What is there to eat?"

Kaito looked through what he assumed was the thing Fiora and Dunban kept their food in. He frowned. He had no idea what most of these things were. Dunban decided to walk up behind him. "You know, I really don't need to eat. Fiora made soup."

Had this been an animation, Kaito would have been a sad chibi. _What about me? I haven't eaten since morning!_ Then a thought went through his head. _If his sister made soup… could one of those cylinders have been soup? Probably not, but I have no money, no idea what this stuff here is, and I'm a half-baked intern for a company that weaponized belts, so why can't they be? TO THE FIORA!_ But before he could run out into the colony like a moron, the earth below suddenly shook. Dunban was the one to recover first. He ran out, with Kaito following soon after. There was fire and screaming people wherever they looked, while mechanical monsters rained from the sky. Dunban started to run toward the mayhem, giving his instructions to the outrealmer. "Evacuate the civilians, and do not engage them! Only the Monado can harm them!"

* * *

 **Grando: Alrighty, first chapter done with. Now I need to bring something to your attention. The site is under fire from the idiots that run government! Sign this to save fanworks. It only needs 5000 more signatures! Put each piece in the URL one at a time.**

 **petitons/**

 **Moveon/**

 **/sign/stop-the-trans-pacific**


	2. Chapter 2

**Grando: You guys have no clue how happy I am people actually like this story. To be honest, it kind of makes me nervous. But hey, this is the big chapter, where the first henshin happens! Exciting, right? But before I start, I want to answer New Universe Returns' question. For the Riders you mentioned, I feel that they'd belong more in Xenoblade Chronicles X, rather than the original. Though it is still very possible, I'd rather write about them in other games/anime/whatever. That being said, usual disclaimer, on to the action!**

* * *

4:30 PM, Colony 9, Bionis Right Calf

The entire bazaar was in flames. The Mechon were raining down on Colony 9, almost like a bombardment of People were panicking, tumbling and tripping over themselves trying to escape from the mechanical horrors that devoured them with their claws. Kaito took advantage of the chaos by getting the attention of the remaining colonists. "Alright, if you don't want to die, head to the closest exit! Those things look like they're headed towards the center of the Colony."

"That's where the Weapons and Residential Districts intersect! The people there will be in danger!" Kaito stiffened. There are more people there than here in the bazaar. _The Mechon… They have to have someone operating them from behind the scenes. Someone wants to get as many guaranteed kills as possible. But why? Machinery doesn't need to eat. Unless… the fuel for these monstrosities are people! The dead are being harvested. That's… unacceptable!_ with these thoughts in mind, Kaito ran toward the central plaza of the colony, spotting an intimidating number of Mechon who were cornering… Shulk and Reyn?! _WHEN DID THEY GET HERE?!_

He wasted no time. He slipped the Change: Kerberos card into the Glaive Buckle as the belt formed around his waist. He dashed past the enclosing Mechon, as he put his hand on the side of the Buckle and slid it open with a shout of "Henshin!"

 **OPEN UP!**

A golden card erupted from the belt, colliding with one of the enemy machines and sending it back. It soon passed through Kaito, revealing a black armoured suit with a golden rim around the chestpiece. A golden Ace symbol was imprinted on the chestpiece as well. The helmet of this armour was black as well, with a golden crest that encompassed the head with the Ace symbols on the sides, and in the center, where the eyepiece was, was a large red gem. At Kaito's side was his weapon, the Glaive Rouzer, an ornate blade that opened to reveal a multitude of cards. Cards that he did not hesitate take and scan across his sword, causing their power to be released.

 **MIGHTY**

 **POUNCE**

 **GRAVITY CRUSHER!**

Kaito leaped into the air as a blue card merged with his armour. He then passed through another blue holographic card aimed right at the Mechon Reyn was struggling against. The moment he passed through the card, he was propelled towards it, as he was covered in golden energy. All the while, he let out a cry that was reminiscent of Kamen Rider Kuuga's (though he didn't know that.) His feet made contact with the mechanical behemoth, before it was sent back into its companions, causing all of them to explode. Reyn looked at his savior, before he let a few questions through his mouth. "Kaito, that you? How are you able to harm the Mechon?"

Kaito was silent for a moment before answering with the most 'cool guy' voice he could muster. "Yes, but in this armour, I'm known as Glaive. Kamen Rider Glaive! And well…" he lost the voice as quickly as it came. "I have no idea. I guess when you use a weapon meant for fighting monsters, robots don't really make a big difference."

"But what kind of cards allow you to kick a Mechon into exploding?!" Reyn exclaimed, holding back another Mechon attack.

"Does it matter? No worries, I won't let my friends be harvested by these things" Kaito reassured, a grin under the mask. He took out another card from the Glaive Rouzer, another Mighty. He ran the card through the blade again, the same holographic card appearing as last time. But this time, the card swirled into the blade, causing it to glow with the energy that engulfed its wielder only moments prior.

 **MIGHTY**

 **GRAVITY SLASH!**

With another shout, he took a swing at a larger Mechon attacking Shulk. When he did, a wave of energy shot at the robot, cutting it without much hassle. But at the same time, even more of them kept coming. It was like there was no end to the abominations. The morale that Kaito had had begun to diminish, all the while. Damn it! Even with the Glaive Buckle, there are too many of them, and Shulk and Reyn are barely doing anything to them. Just then, the three heard a familiar voice, grunting as it grew louder. They turned to the bridge to the Weapons District to see Dunban with a large red sword that was projecting an even larger blue beam from the center. Their reactions were very different, to say the least. _IS THAT A BLOODY LIGHTSABER?!_ "Dunban… and the Monado!"

"Hello Shulk. Sorry to keep you and Reyn waiting." Dunban then took notice of Kaito with a twinge of irritation. "I thought I told you to not engage the Mechon, Kaito."

"Well, I had to! Shulk and Reyn were in danger. And besides, I kicked the asses of a good number of them before you showed up." Kaito retorted.

Shulk stepped up in his defense. "It's true, Dunban. His weapons can destroy Mechon!"

The shock was clear on his face. _What?_ Kaito was confused at that response. There was silence and an expression unreadable to him. _So I can destroy Mechon without the Monado? So what? What is so special about it?_ "Before we continue to crush these things, why is it so shocking I can destroy them. Yeah, I don't have a lightsaber like you, but there has to be anti-Mechon weaponry invented if there was an entire war against them."

"They exist, but not in Colony 9. Now come on, we need to head to the Residential District! The bridge is just north of here." Dunban and Kaito led the way, just incase any more Mechon needed to be taken care of. They got up to the beginning of the bridge before Dunban collapsed in pain, blue electricity erupting from his body as he coughed up blood and lost his grip on the Monado.

"Dunban! You can't keep going like this." Reyn exclaimed. "Your body can't handle any more of the Monado!"

"But- I must!" He argued back, reaching out to the red weapon. "I don't have a choice!"

"Reyn's right." Shulk stated calmly. He walked in front of the group, towards even more Mechon. Suddenly, started to sprint toward the Monado. He picked it up and activated it before exclaiming, "This time... it's my turn!"

Shulk charged at the Mechon, somehow dodging all of their attacks. He retaliated and destroyed them. The Mechon became wary now, it seemed. They stood back as Shulk stood there, surrounded by them. Dunban gazed in shock once more. "How could this be? Not only is he not dying by the Monado… he's using it to fight off the Mechon."

The other three jumped into the circle to help their friend. Reyn jabbed one of the invaders in the head while he and the others conversed. "Shulk, you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, but there was something odd." He said as he slashed at another one. "Just now, it was as if I could see into the future. Is this another power of the Monado?"

"Into the future? That sounds re-" Kaito paused to stab a Mechon on his left before continuing. "-diculous! And never mind what powers that thing has, where did Dunban get that katana from? He didn't have that earlier!"

"Never mind either of those things now! Shulk, cast Monado Enchant to let Reyn and me do a real number on these monsters!" Shulk complied with Dunban's command and engulfed the group with a blue haze. Suddenly, the Mechon were easily dispatched by the whole group, not just Shulk and Kaito. "Alright, let's get moving."

But that was easier said than done. The path into the Residential District had been rendered impassable because of the Mechon attacks, so they had to go around from outside the colony. The people Kaito instructed to run were okay, much to his relief. That being said, they still had to save the people in the one place none of them have been. _On the bright side, there are barely any Mechon left!_ Kaito celebrated in his head. He, Reyn, Dunban, and Shulk managed to reach their destination with few complications. It looked like their first scrap with the Mechon would end as a victory, technically speaking. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, because out of all of their lines of sight, a large Mechon, larger than all of the rest, landed in front of them, blocking their way. It was humanoid, but poorly proportioned with a tiny head, large, lanky arms, larger claws and, by comparison, short legs. Its ribcage was almost skeletal, and on the sides of the head were long antennae-like protrusions. On its back were bronze-colored mechanical wings and what seemed like a large gun or cannon. Red lines could be seen surging throughout this new machine. Although, none of those were the most defining feature. No, that belonged to the soulless face it used to stare down the four of them, looming over them like a predator playing with its food. "That Mechon has a face?"

"That don't mean nothin!" Reyn exclaimed as the group got ready for combat. "Not while we have Shulk and Kaito!"

Shulk was the one to rush in first. He casted Monado Enchant once more while Reyn and Dunban slashed and hacked away at the robot's legs. Shulk then attempted to slice open the joints connecting the two pieces of the legs together. They couldn't hurt it. Kaito was doing slightly better, but only just. His problem was that the only thing he was able to hit it with his Mighty card, before he ran out of AP and had to use normal attacks until he could accumulate more. His did more to the Mechon, but it only left some minor tears, nothing serious.

"The Monado! It's not working!" Shulk's worry was evident on his face. Then the realization came to him. "That light! The other Mechon don't have that! Is that why the Monado isn't working?"

"Oi! What d'ya mean?!"

"But the Monado should be able to cut through them with ease, light or no!" Just as Dunban said that, the Face Mechon swiped all four of them with its claws, sending them back. They landed on the floor paralyzed as Kaito reverted to his civilian form. It approached them, about to end them, when a shot hit the machine from behind.

"Everyone, get away right now!" Fiora ordered. She charged at the faced machine in the mobile artillery, firing her weapons as she did so. "I won't let you hurt any more people, Mechon! We will save Colony 9!"

"Fiora, stay back!" pleaded Shulk, as the Mechon fired a ball of blue energy out of the cannon on its back. The shot destroyed the barrel of one of the arms. Fiora retaliated by firing more lazers at it. "Fiora, get out of here! Run!"

"You want more?!" Fiora drove the artillery straight into the Mechon, firing the cannon into its face. The force of the following explosion sent her back a good several feet, but the Mechon itself was unshaken. The only thing that suggested that she had even attacked it was the damaged face plate. It waddled menacingly towards her and picked up the artillery before hurling it against one of the nearby buildings. It wasn't done with her, though. Shulk knew what was going to happen. He struggled, tried to get up, but to no avail. It was slow, but it also seemed to fast. In that one motion, the claws of the Mechon stabbed Fiora, killing her as her screams of pain echoed in the minds of all who witnessed it.

Shulk, with his rage fueling him, used the Monado to stand up. His breathing was heavy. His muscles were tense. The Faced Mechon, now done with Fiora, threw the mobile artillery and her corpse away like rubbish, letting the lesser Mechon harvest what was left. Reyn, Dunban, and Kaito pushed themselves back up as well, with Kaito transforming back into Glaive. The four looked at the Mechon with one feeling that linked them above all others. The desire for revenge. Revenge on that Mechon for gracing its claws with their mutual person of interest's blood. And it was Shulk who vocalized the thoughts of the group, with the loudest proclamation he had ever uttered up until that point. "I'll kill you!"

Kaito had regained his AP, and all four of them had regained the strength to destroy the monstrosity before them. Shulk had used most of his arts within the first few minutes of the battle, Dunban was hitting it with all he had, and Reyn toppled it before they tried for an all out attack. But then the Mechon knocked back Dunban, Reyn, and Kaito right before their attacks hit, leaving Shulk to deal with it. It brought its claws down on the Monado, Shulk struggling under the weight. He rolled away from the Mechon's appendage before climbing on to its arm and stabbing it in the damaged area of the face plate Fiora had left before her passing with a yell of "Die!"

The Monado's beams went through its head like a needle through paper as it shook Shulk off of it. Dunban rushed to his aid as the Mechon looked back one last time before flying off with the other Mechon. Reyn called for it to come back so they could finish what they started, but it was no use. It was gone. And with all of it done, the full realization that it may never come back, that they may never avenge Fiora, hit Shulk like a sack of bricks as he let out one last cry. "No~!"

* * *

5:28 PM, Outlook Park, Colony 9, Bionis Right Calf

Kaito and Shulk looked down at the rebuilding Colony 9, as Shulk reminisced about Fiora. Reyn approached the two of them, wearing a face of seriousness. He opened his mouth, but no words came. Instead, he closed it again and clenched his hands into fists, trying to contain his emotion. Eventually, he found his voice. "Hey. Have you two been to see Dunban?"

"Yeah."

"I just can't do it. You two have more guts than me."

"Not at all. It was him that consoled Shulk here. And I was there for a short while to give my apologies, for not being able to do anything."

"Oh. I guess that's just the type of guy he is."

"Yeah." Shulk then gazed down below again, looking at the broken state of his home. "Even without the Monado, he's the strongest person I know."

Shulk then went on to explain the talk he had with Dunban. About treasuring the gift of life that Fiora gave him. Reyn smiled half-heartedly. "He's one of a kind, that Dunban."

There was more silence, before Shulk spoke up again. "I've found my purpose in life. I'm going to pursue that faced Mechon. They attacked our colony, killed Fiora. I will find that Mechon- find it and destroy it. Destroy them all!"

Reyn laughed at that. "Sorry, sorry, I just find it a bit weird. I never thought you'd be the one to say it!"

"So you agree?"

"Of course, man. I'm just surprised you came out with it first! I thought you'd give me a hard time."

"You know, there are two versions of me in my head telling me to do that. Telling me 'Listen to what Dunban said.' And the other one. It keeps shouting 'Make them pay!' 'Destroy every single one of them!' And it just keeps getting louder."

Reyn smirked at that, too. "That doesn't sound like you at all. Sure it ain't my voice in there?"'

"Might be. It's a bit of a loudmouth!" The three of them shared a chuckle. "So what about you, Kaito?"

"I'll go wherever you guys go. It's obvious you'll leave the colony, and I want to be able to help you, as well as everyone else suffering because of the Mechon. The only question is; when do we leave?"

"Right now!" Shulk proclaimed.

"Perfect."

"Alright then. You two lead the way." _I'll protect them. I may not know what reason I was brought here, but the people of this world need my help. I won't sit there helpless. Not again. Never again!_

Out the window of his house, Dunban watched the scene of their departure. "Look after yourselves, boys. As soon as this heals, I'll catch right up with you. And then we will seize our destinies. Together."

* * *

 **Grando: Believe it or not, I finished this chapter in two days. Must be out of that writer's block I've been in for the last year. Anyway, in this chapter you may have noticed I used a Rouze Card that was not in the Missing Aces movie that is the basis of the AR World Kaito is from. That is because, excluding the Rouze Cards for Change and the finishers of Blade, Garren, Leangle, and Chalice, the Ace Riders only had one Rouze Card: Mighty. So in this story, I'll be upgrading Glaive based on the SIC Hero Saga's upgrades for Leangle (Or in general, the OPEN UP system) and on what the action calls for in my mind. That being said, thank you for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Grando: Sorry this chapter took so long. I haven't been feeling very good, both mentally and physically (I don't usually get sick, but when I do it is painful. Like, coughing and sneezing all night, preventing me from sleeping painful), combined with my regular insomnia, this chapter took quite a while. Anyway, I have a message at the end of the chapter that you guys should check out. Normal disclaimer. Now, OPEN UP the story!**

* * *

 **7:00 PM, Entrance to Colony 9, Bionis Right Calf**

Shulk, Reyn and Kaito walked past the gate of the colony before they stopped. Shulk decided to point out something. "It's all very well, going after that metal-faced Mechon. But shouldn't we have some kind of plan?"

Reyn, surprisingly, was the one who spoke up. "How 'bout checking out Colony 6?"

"Colony 6?"

"The only other Homs colony left." Shulk answered grimly. Kaito's confusion only grew.

"Homs? So you guys aren't human?" The two looked at him.

"What is a human? I've never heard of them." Shulk asked, but at this point Kaito gave up, realizing that since this was an entirely different world, of course there wouldn't be humans. At least, not native ones. Kaito assured them it was nothing.

"Okay. But to answer the first question, Colony 6 is in Sword Valley, where a Mechon base is supposed to be." Reyn brought punched the palm of his hand. "They must have seen something!"

"Alright, let's go. First we need to get past the Magmell Ruins. Then we head through Tephra Cave. Just through it is Gaur Plains, on the Bionis Knee."

"Sounds like a plan." And soon after, they reached the door to Tephra Cave. Kaito analyzed the entrance to the cavern with faint curiosity. According to Shulk, the cave had been home to some pretty dangerous creatures. Not only that, but neither of his two native friends have travelled past the door previously sealed in there. _Speaking of, why did they seal off that door in the first place?_

"Alrighty then, let's get moving. Shall we?" Kaito, Shulk and Reyn walked through the previously closed entrance into a damp cave. The air felt off to Kaito. It wasn't like caverns he had been in during field trips at school, it was… murderous? No. Foreboding? Sinister? He couldn't place his finger on it. It only became odder when they came across a lamp.

"An ether lamp? Don't traders use these as guideposts?" Shulk thought for a bit before an idea came to him. "Perhaps we could follow them to Bionis Knee."

"Alright, but if armed traders need guideposts, we should probably be ready to fight." Kaito thought, "It must be pretty dangerous here, and I'd rather not die."

They walked past the lamp, keeping their wits about them. Well, Shulk and Reyn were. Kaito was still rather nervous. He wasn't as sturdy as Shulk and Reyn, not without the Glaive Buckle. And while he was stronger them with it, he had a limited use of his Rouze Cards per transformation. If he wanted to use more, he'd have to revert to being himself before getting the AP for it. And he was… weak. No way around it. He was relatively healthy, sure, but he was far from in shape like the other two were. He was amazed he he was able to do what he did during the Mechon attack. Though, he supposed, it was probably because he transformed into Glaive he was able to last so long without getting winded. Then he was interrupted by Shulk and Reyn's sudden stop. There, by one of the cave's pools, were bodies. Dead bodies. Shulk was the one who broke the silence first with his shocked muttering. "What the…?"

"Look at the emblem." Reyn said as he kneeled down to illustrate his point. "These traders are from Colony 6. No wonder it's been so long since the last delivery."

"Those wounds weren't made by Mechon. Chances are they were made by the monsters in this cave." Shulk guessed.

"Man, that's grim. I don't wanna go like this. Not even killed by Mechon, just some monsters in a cave" Reyn grimaced.

"They probably had families… children... " Shulk looked back at Reyn. "Come on, let's return them to the Bionis."

"Return them?" Kaito looked at the bodies sadly. _They must mean to bury them here. "Returning them" to the Bionis must be a cultural thing._ "Anyway, when you guys are done, take a rest. I'll take watch. Then Shulk, then you, Reyn."

"Sounds like a plan." They then proceeded to bury the dead traders next to a glowing pool of liquid.

* * *

 **10:40 PM, Tephra Cave, Bionis Right Calf**

Kaito had just finished his shift and passed it off to Shulk. As soon as he found the most comfortable spot he could, he collapsed. It may not have been a bed, but he wasn't going to complain about that after the long day he's had. Shulk gazed into the expanse of the cave, watchful. Not but thirty minutes after it was his shift, Reyn tapped him on the shoulder. "Shulk. My turn."

"Awake already?"

"Could barely catch a wink. And I still feels like I just did one of Colonel Vangarre's drills." Shulk chuckled at that. Reyn then adopted a serious tone. "Hey... Why do you think the Mechon attacked? Are we just food to them? Or, what, did we do something wrong? Sort of reminds me of the battle between the Bionis and the Mechonis. I wonder if it's anything to do with that?"

"Well… It's hard to believe that living things are just a source of energy for machines. There has to be another reason." Shulk answered.

"The Mechon killed Fiora."

"Yeah."

"You know what? I'll never forgive 'em. I don't care what their reason is."

"Hmm. When it happened, the Monado showed me that Fiora was in danger. But I couldn't save her." Reyn grabbed Shulk's shoulder, breaking him out of his brooding.

"It's not your fault. Just 'cos the Monado showed you some future,that don't mean you could do anything about it. You did great. You fought them off. I couldn't have done that." Reyn then sat down near the fire. "You know, I've been thinking about you can use the Monado, I mean. Dickson told me. You're a survivor from the Monado expedition team that went out 14 years ago. There was a blizzard or something and your mum and dad died. And then Dickson found you and brought you back."

"That sounds right. I was pretty young, so I don't really remember anything."

"Is that why you do it? Why you're always helping Dickson with his research and trying to figure out the Monado?" Reyn asked.

Shulk looked pensive for a moment, before answering. " of me does see it as something to remind me of my mum and dad. But mainly, if it really is the sword that the Bionis used to kill the Mechonis, like in the legend… I want to work out its secret. That's the real reason."

"I got it!" Reyn exclaimed suddenly, "You were chosen. By the Monado. It ain't no coincidence you can use the Monado and Dunban can't."

Shulk made a skeptical noise as he brought his hand to his chin to think. Reyn spoke up again. "I'm taking my shift. You go on and get some rest."

"Alright. Good night, Reyn." Shulk proceeded to lay down on the ground and fall into sleep's embrace. Though, as soon as he did so, he found himself in a hazy sort of dream world. He was atop a dark tower. He was about to call out to see if anyone was there when he heard someone speak behind him.

"Do you wish to change it?" Shulk turned around to see an unfamiliar man. He had silver hair and silvery blue eyes, which seemed off somehow. He wore white, high-cut boots that reached his knees. His trousers were blue with a silver pattern on the side, which also connected to his belt. The man also wore three layers of clothes on his torso: a blue shirt similar to his own shirt, a white vest with gold spherical buttons, and a dark blue jacket with white fur on the collar, as well as the spherical buttons, albeit with a silver color instead of gold. Around his neck was a golden key, much to Shulk's confusion. Shulk acknowledged his question with a questioning noise. The man clarified. "The future."

Shulk huffed, as he had no answer. The man continued. "It is every man's desire to change the future. Is that not so? Even if everything is predestined, will you not oppose it?"

Shulk stood there, silenced. He, again, had no answer. He didn't know. "I…"

Shulk struggled to speak, as the stranger spoke further. "The Monado is now in your hands. The Monado will grow with you. If you can find the True Monado the future is yours."

* * *

 **3:24 AM, Tephra Cave, Bionis Right Calf**

Kaito awoke from his rest. Despite his immediate slumber, it wasn't pleasant. It was plagued with memories of the previous day. Of suddenly finding himself on an alien planet. Of seeing mechanical monsters fall from the sky and raze an entire settlement. Of the faces of the people he couldn't save. It was funny, in a way. Had this happened to anyone else, he would have told them to shrug it off. They couldn't have, even if they wanted to. The situations wouldn't allow them. But if that was the case, why was he able to help Shulk and Reyn fight off the Mechon? Why wasn't he too late to help them, but not able to help Fiora? Why could he even fight off the Mechon in the first place? He was just an undergrad who didn't spend enough time with the thinking cap on. He wasn't a hero. Yeah, he liked to help people, but his help was often mediocre at best. Then he realized that nothing really changed. It was all Glaive. And all he could do was rely on it and hope everything would work out in the end. _But… that won't stop me from trying!_

"Hey Kaito, wake Shulk up, would you? We should get moving." Reyn requested. Kaito looked at him worriedly. It was obvious he hadn't gotten much sleep. Kaito, reluctantly, did so. "Hey sleepyhead, rise and shine."

"Shine? How would you know?" Kaito had the feeling he didn't. He sighed as he helped Shulk up to his feet. "Anyways, let's get out of this cave. I don't like it here. Too many bad vibes."

The walk was awkwardly silent. Shulk seemed almost blank, lost in thought. Then he heard Shulk offhandedly mutter. "The True Monado? Was I dreaming?"

"Shulk, you okay? You seem distracted by something." Kaito really had his work cut out for him. One of his party deprived himself of sleep, and the other was muttering about his oversized lightsaber. Then again, he wasn't better off. His skin was crawling with apprehension about their current location. Suddenly, Shulk stopped for a moment and his eyes glowed, before it died down. Reyn and Kaito stopped and glanced over to him.

 _That wasn't a dream. It was a vision. What should I do? Should I tell Kaito?_ Shulk pondered, before deciding to pull Reyn aside. Shulk noticed Kaito's anxiousness. He didn't need any more. After telling him to stay where he was, Shulk and Reyn moved to a place they thought Kaito wouldn't hear. "Reyn, I had another vision."

"Really? What about?"

"It was Kaito. He was knocked down by this giant Arachno and out of his transformation, before he was impaled in the chest." Shulk went into a bit more detail of the vision. Reyn grimaced as he imagined the scene for himself.

"Alright. So what should we do? He'd freak if he knew that. I mean, look at how he's been while he's been here. Not to mention he still doesn't believe in those visions of yours." Reyn crossed his arms and thought. He decided that he would tell Kaito about Shulk's vision. He walked back to where they had left Kaito, but, oddly, he wasn't there.

* * *

 _I'm going to die by bug!? How dare they try to hide this from me? Doesn't matter what they believe, if you think someone is going to die, tell them! I mean, sure, I do still have my qualms and all, but come on. Common sense, guys._ Kaito quietly seethed in annoyance. He was broken out of it, however, when he heard a slight cracking noise. He looked around him, noticing four large eggs. They seemed to have some Mechon parts in them, but he honestly wished they were Mechon after he saw what were crawling out of them. _I hate spiders…_

The Arachno burst out of their shells, adorned in the armour of the monsters that had razed Colony 9. Kaito had to admit, despite his phobia to spiders and his current predicament, these looked kind of cool. But that was enough admiring the local fauna. He slotted **Change: Kerberos** into the Glaive Buckle, its belt strap wrapping around his waist. Something akin to determination lit in Kaito's eyes as he shouted. "Henshin!"

 **OPEN UP**

Without wasting any time, he took the Glaive Rouzer and took out the **Mighty** card, before scanning it across the blade.

 **MIGHTY**

 **GRAVITY SLASH**

He spun his sword through the blue holographic card, before it started to glow its familiar gold. The monstrous arachnids jumped at him as he swung in a circle, getting all four. They all fell to it, needless to say.

Kaito reverted to his civilian form, before he heard someone call out to him. He turned and saw a man, who seemed to be trader like the bodies that he saw earlier, though he wasn't short on supplies like the other two. In fact, he seemed to be carrying whole contents of his pantry on his back. The man ran up to Kaito, before collapsing to the ground. "You there! Please help me!"

The poor man was hysteric. Kaito placed his arm under the man's, raising him up, before questioning him. "There, there. It's okay, just tell me what happened."

"My son and I are refugees from Colony 6. We were separated from the rest of them when the Mechon struck," The man explained, "So I hoped that he and I could find asylum in Colony 9. But then the Arachno attacked us, and we got lost in this cave. Please, you must find my son. You can fight, meaning you can help him. Please, I'll give you anything."

Kaito looked at the begging man with sympathy. He knew how it felt, losing a family member. As well as being at blame for said loss. Kaito decided what his course of action would be. _Visions be damned._ "Don't worry, I'll save him. Until then, stay here. There aren't any more of those bugs, so it's safest. OK?"

"Yes. Thank you." With a nod of acknowledgement, Kaito ran deeper into the cave. As he went further and further, he began smelling a disgusting scent. It was like silly string, if it had been drenched in the sweat of a man covered in cheese. It caught him off guard, but he had gotten used to things like that; visiting card game locals does that to you. Then, he started to hear it. The faint sound of cries.

"Dad? Dad! Help me! I don't want to die!" The boy was surrounded. The large arthropods seemed to dance around him, twitching in excitement and hunger. Kaito charged forward, determined to protect him.

"Henshin!" He transformed into Glaive once more, jumping into the circle of spiders. He slashed at them, dispatching them with relative ease, since they didn't have any armour on them. He turned toward the cowering child, who glanced up at him, mystified and afraid. "Kid, get to the tunnel, over there. You'll be okay. Go on, I'll cover you!"

The boy complied, darting off to the Path of Absolution, with the absolution to live. Kaito also kept to his word, cutting down the monsters leaping for the child, faintly aware of the debris falling from the rumbling ceiling. By this time, Shulk and Reyn, who had learned of Kaito's location from the boy's father, had caught up with him. They looked up and saw the giant Arachno that killed Kaito in the vision. Shulk cried out to move, but a bit too late. The Arachno Queen knocked Kaito back to the wall, ending the transformation. He struggled to get up, as the giant bug lurched closer. Then everything seemed to slow down. Shulk heard the mysterious man again, while the man himself was in the path, his arms crossed and watching. "Now pay attention. This is how man seizes his destiny for himself."

The bug stabbed toward Kaito's chest, going for the kill. However, Kaito was quick enough to transform once more, sending the monster back with the golden card. Now back as Glaive, he used the Glaive Rouzer as a crutch to help him stand. "I… won't die here… I told that man… I'd save his son. I… will save everyone I can and survive, Fate be damned!"

He charged the giant with his Rouzer in hand, slashing at its legs. The colossus cried out in pain as it called its minions to swarm throughout the room. Kaito was surrounded by the bugs, but he was able to handle himself. It was then the Arachno Queen focused turned its head toward Reyn, who was running to Kaito's aid. Shulk then found himself seeing yet another vision. The Arachno Queen catches Reyn between itself and its horde, as it impales him as it did Kaito in his previous vision. Reality came back to him as he saw Reyn surrounded, separate from Kaito. The Queen lurched toward Reyn, ready to fulfill the vision. Shulk once again yelled into the pit of desperation, when suddenly the Monado glowed yellow. An orb-like shield engulfed Reyn, just as the Queen lunged its leg down at him. Reyn looked at the orb around him in shock. "What's this!?"

"The power of the Monado?!" Shulk gazed at Reyn, before looking down at the Monado. _Is this what that man told me to pay attention to? The power and will to change the future?_ He didn't have much time to ponder further, as the Queen once again changed its target, from Reyn to Shulk. Kaito took another Rouze Card from his sword and scanned it across the blade, before turning toward the Queen.

 **POUNCE**

Kaito leaped up into the golden card, launching himself at the large bug. He landed on the back of it, and scanned another card from the Rouzer onto the blade.

 **LEECH**

The blade of the Glaive Rouzer dug into the abdomen of the large Arachno, draining it of its energy. It began to move more sluggish, and it couldn't react in time to Shulk's **Stream Edge**. Reyn, meanwhile, held back the little Arachno, keeping them from Shulk. Kaito jumped down before getting another Rouze Card ready as Shulk called out "It's time for a chain attack!"

"Backslash! Reyn, go!"

"Wild Down! Kaito, you're up!"

"Disappear, bug!"

 **MIGHTY**

 **GRAVITY SLASH!**

"Now, let's end this!" Shulk's Monado grew, before the beam of light became as large as the Arachno Queen itself, before Shulk announced the final blow. "MONADO BUSTER!"

As soon as the Queen was struck, it was destroyed. The halves of the former colossus fell to the ground of the cave, already beginning to smell of decay (due to the **Leech** Rouze Card) as Shulk deactivated the Monado and Kaito reverted back to civilian form for what he hoped was the last time that day. _Honestly,_ he thought, _all of those times were really exhausting._

The man and his child approached the trio, glowing with gratitude. The father spoke first. "Thank you three so much. I could never thank you enough."

"No, no," Kaito stuttered, "It was nothing. I'm sure anyone in our position would have done the same. I'm just glad the kid is A-OK. It hurts, losing family."

"Yes. Yes it does. But still, a good deed deserves at least some reward," The man then had a teasing glint in his eye, "and don't start saying something like 'seeing people safe is reward enough.' The sight of us being alive and well won't help you defeat monsters or feed you at night, after all."

Kaito didn't have a rebuttal for that. The man gave the group some food made at Colony 6 that Kaito didn't catch the name of and him specifically a new jacket. It was sleeveless, white and plain. There wasn't any fancy designs to worry about, so Kaito released a sigh of releif; he won't look like an anime character today, nor any day onward! Unless he needed more clothes and had to buy from people who only had anime-esque things, but what were the odds of that? The man and child bid the trio good luck on their travels and began to walk toward Colony 9. Shulk turned to the exit of Tephra Cave, an intense look in his eyes. "Up ahead is the Bionis Knee. Let's go."

* * *

 **Grando: School, projects, and social lives making you depressed, oh my! This was supposed to go up in the middle of APRIL, DANGIT! *sigh* Well, like always, please leave a review. It'll help me better my writing and maybe, just maybe, I won't have so many things Write-Blocking me.**


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